Past Meet Present
by bookworn2340
Summary: Storm's lives come crashing together when old enemies return. Can she hold both her past and present together or will she lose half her soul once again.


Major authors note before we start off. This story idea was originally titled Hidden Secrets by tailendwriter. I tried to contact tailend about adopting it or writing my own version but never got any response. If anyone is in contact with this author please have them get in touch with me. If they want it taken down I will more than happily do so but I've had this written for just about a year now and feel ready (Phoenix is pressuring me) to post my writing. I also encourage everyone to read Hidden Secrets to see where that story ends and Past meet Present begins.

Right then, of course there is also the disclaimer that I don't own any of the Maximum Ride or X-Men characters.

Okay hope you enjoy.

Jay

-1-

Logan was frustrating me. I stood across from him on the mats, his claws came out on reflex after he had just managed to doge a strait right I had thrown at him. I could have easily forced the metal in his hands to stay where the hit could've connected, but that was one of Nudge's abilities. Here they knew me as Storm. We were sparing in the gym and I was getting irritated.

"Stop pulling punches!" I screamed at him.

He gave me a questioning look and said back "Don't want ta hurt ya."

"How many times do we have to have this conversation?! You're hurting me by not keeping me in shape. " he still looked skeptical so I drove the point home with a hard left hook that was below the belt in boxing standards but fair game in the nasty, street-fighting, no-holds-barred style of Max Kwon Do. He got the hint, after he recovered, and came at me at full force; just how I like it.

I really enjoyed sparing with Logan; his style of fighting was very familiar to me, as I had grown up with it, and there for I kicked his ass better than anyone, which annoyed him to no end. In turn he gave me the best practice and workout sessions as long as he didn't go easy on me. As I rolled to doge a quickly timed combo he called out.

"Stop." he commanded.

I swerved to look him directly in the eye, "Why, what's wrong afraid I might win?"

"In your dreams;" he huffed "Profs calling a meeting." he replied nodding in the direction of Charles's office.

"Is that your version of a forfeit?" I said as I was starting to get up.

"No." he held out his hand and pulled me to my feet "It's my version of an interruption; this match won't be through until I have you pinned to the floor." he said with a grin. I laughed as I backed away hoping he didn't notice the shivers he sent through my body by standing so close.

"I accept your challenge, but don't be a sore loser when I am the one who ends up on top." I ran out the door laughing as I heard Logan's growl of outrage.

I ran toward the professors' office at a faster speed then one would have consider normal, generally I made sure to hide my other 'talents' but I really didn't care who saw because a) I knew I had to get away from Logan or risk his fury and b) I was curious as to what the professor wanted. I ran up the stairs accidently knocking into someone. I gasped in surprise then looked at the being I had barreled into. It was a girl that looked almost fourteen; she had dirty blonde hair and was somewhat tall. Something about her seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it. "Hello." I greeted her. She seemed a bit nervous so I continued, "What's your name?"

"I'm . . ." she paused before giving me a name, "Blaze." It was a strange name, but hey there were plenty of strangely named people here.

"I'm Storm." I greeted her. "I've got a meeting to go to, but when I get back, I'll show you around okay."

As this was said Logan came up the steps, "Storm, you …"

"This is Blaze." I introduced her wanting to avoid a confrontation being seen by the students.

"Hi" Logan replied

I shook my head at his gruff reply "Don't worry Blaze, Logan is not the most polite person here." he sent me a glare as I continued "I am going to show Blaze around after the meeting so we'll have to have that rematch later."

"Scaredy Storm." He mumbled. I chose to ignore his comment since beside me Blaze smiled for the first time.

"Storm, we might be gone for a while." Jean Gray said as she walked up "Hi again Blaze" she greeted. Blaze simply nodded back trying to hold back a grin at Logan's previous comment.

"So, it's that kind of meeting. Okay sorry Blaze, Jean could you maybe get Kitty or Rogue to show her around." Jean nodded sending out the query to the two girls.

"See you later." I called out to Blaze as Jean and Logan pulled me to the professor's office. I slipped into the room and looked around noticing that Scott was already there. I nodded and smiled at him in greeting as Jean and Logan entered.

"You wanted to see us." I asked the professor.

"Yes, I was wondering if Logan and yourself could go somewhere for me." He paused "There has been a lead on Stryker." Logan tensed as did I. Hey; I didn't like the idea of experimenting with mutation on live human beings either, for obvious reasons.

"Where?" Logan asked.

"Somewhere in Canada, he seems to be getting funding from another company. It goes by the name of Itex."

My stomach plummeted as my legs gave out beneath me and I lowered myself into the nearest chair. Itex, that just wasn't possible they were gone, Max made sure of it the first time around. My thoughts flew. If Itex was back, was the flock okay? I hadn't spoken to them in almost 10 years. Oh god, what if something happened and I would never see them again. They could have died not knowing how sorry I was for hurting them… for leaving.

"Storm are you alright?" the professor asked worry written out in every line of his face. "Do you know something about this?"

"No." I quickly responded. "I mean yes I…" letting my head fall into my hands I whispered "that's not possible."

I looked up as Logan put a hand on my shoulder "Storm?"

I sucked in a shaky breath "They're a genetics company" I said not wanting to give away my history as Nudge "they're" I paused struggling to find the words to explain "they're kind of the opposite of Striker. They take people, children mostly and experiment on them." I shuddered "Try to change their DNA so that they have enhanced capabilities they combine animal or, mutant DNA with that of humans," I looked up into the face of Professor Xavier "but there gone there was an uprising a group of the kids got out and took down Itex. They no longer exist! Or at least they didn't." I shook my head trying to wrap my mind around another Itex corporation one that was working with William Stryker.

"Ororo were you one of the kids, did you escape and bring down Itex?" Jean asked. I looked up to see the dismayed and anxious expressions on my teammate's faces.

and lied.

"No" shaking my head I gave the story I had decided upon while explaining about Itex "I was brought into be a donator I was going to give DNA that would be used in their experiments." I spit out the word in disgust. "But as they were taking me in alarms started blaring and a group ran out I was young and scared but one of them grabbed me and said to run I didn't like the place so I ran." I paused looking around the room "We split up when I was older and my powers started to truly develop I accidently set fire to the house we were staying in during an electrical storm." My team looked at me with varying expressions as I finished my fabrication: sadness, empathy, and flat out rage.

"Right then," I said collecting myself enough to stand "let's get going, I call shot gun." I smiled breaking the silence. Charles let out a sigh.

"Take the jet, but be careful, it's only reconnaissance. Storm when you get back, we are going to talk about this."

"Certainly professor." I replied in defeat of course he wasn't going to let this go.

As Logan, Jean, and Scott were leaving Charles called out to me, "Storm, are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine." I tried to reassure him. He simply nodded.

"Be careful. I'm trusting you to make sure Logan doesn't get out of hand."

"Can do." I smiled as I walked out, toward the waiting Blackbird and the ghosts from my past.


End file.
